Case Summary:

One of the certain ways to get an approval for an EB2-National Interest Waiver case is to make sure the client has solid credentials supported by well-written letters of recommendation which highlight the client’s accomplishments in the chosen area of endeavor. So when we were preparing the application for an Indian postdoctoral associate in molecular biology and genetics, we were certain that we had to use her credentials along with the supporting documents that we found such as the letters of recommendation. Three of the 4 letters made the following comments about her work:

“[The client], an expert in molecular biology, has made remarkable accomplishments in her field, identifying signaling pathways that improve the sustenance of the derived pluripotent cells, which are used to breed cattle with enhanced genetic traits for the improvement of beef and dairy production. Given the importance of her work for ensuring the continued profitability and competitiveness of the American beef and dairy sectors, it is unquestionably beneficial to the United States for her to continue her research in this country.”

“Given the importance of bovine semen genetic factors for the productivity and profitability of the beef and dairy industries, the world greatly benefits from continued research into maternally derived determinants of bovine reproduction and development, making it easy to see that [the client’s] work provides valuable tools to her fellow researchers, and is crucial to many global applications.”

“Her research involving determination of the biological functions of a protein as crucial for addressing the high prevalence and socioeconomic burden associated with metabolic diseases. As Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than a third of the U.S. population meets the criteria for having metabolic syndrome, her research provides crucial insights and tools to improve the understanding, treatment, and prevention of metabolic syndrome and aligns with American national interests.”

As is evident, the above statements help in making clear that the client is indeed a valued expert in the field and her work is of interest to people around the globe. Other details we added to her petition are:

• As an expert in the field, her proposed endeavor is to continue working on the development and implementation of systems biology approaches to understand the basic regulatory mechanisms of cell processes and metabolic disorders, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, in order to provide improved tools for the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic disorders.
• Her research endeavor is of great importance because it addresses key issues related to global public health.
• Her proposed endeavor also has broad implications for the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified cattle production as the most important agricultural industry in the U.S. She has taken on issues of great interest to the U.S. including various types of malnutrition, and the related issues of food production and metabolic disease.
• Due to its clear national importance, her research has been supported with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and two agencies from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
• In her 8 years of research in the field, she has completed at least 10 reviews to date and her research has resulted in 13 peer-reviewed journal articles (five of them first-authored) which have been cited a total of 112 times according to Google Scholar.

All of these factors contributed to the success of her case winning her the approval without an RFE. We are proud to have worked with her and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.